Nanostructured conjugates from tara gum and α-lactalbumin. Part 1. Structural characterization

State-of-the-art advancement in tara gum polysaccharide (Caesalpinia spinosa) modifications and their potential applications for drug delivery and the food industry

In preference to synthetic or petroleum-based materials, current research in food and pharmaceutical industries has focused on the development of biodegradable and sustainable materials due to their low toxicity, and biocompatibility. In particular, the natural water-soluble polysaccharide tara gum (Caesalpinia spinosa) has been widely used as a food-grade and drug-delivery agent due to its biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Moreover, owing to its easily modifiable hydroxy groups, tara gum, and its derivatives have been employed as food packaging films and pharmaceutical materials. In the present critical review, facile grafting methods of tara gum are reviewed, and an up-to-date comprehensive application of tara gum polysaccharides revealed their uses in pH-sensitive food packaging. In addition, modified tara gum materials exhibited improved drug delivery applications with biocompatible properties. The non-toxic nature and non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic rheological properties as well as the synergistic behavior of tara gum with other polysaccharides explore its further industrial applications in several fields. Additionally, several approaches for improving tara gum for use as a stabilizer and thickener for food items, and monitoring food spoilage, have provided notable customized characteristics. In brief, its many advantages make tara gum polysaccharide a promising material for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Protein-polysaccharide interactions for the fabrication of bioactive-loaded nanocarriers: Chemical conjugates and physical complexes

As unique biopolymeric architectures, covalently and electrostatically protein-polysaccharide (PRO-POL) systems can be utilized for bioactive delivery by virtue of their featured structures and unique physicochemical attributes. PRO-POL systems (i. e, microscopic /nano-dimensional multipolymer particles, molecularly conjugated vehicles, hydrogels/nanogels/oleogels/emulgels, biofunctional films, multilayer emulsion-based delivery systems, particles for Pickering emulsions, and multilayer coated liposomal nanocarriers) possess a number of outstanding attributes, like biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioavailability with low toxicity that qualify them as powerful agents for the delivery of different bioactive ingredients. To take benefits from these systems, an in-depth understanding of the chemical conjugates and physical complexes of the PRO-POL systems is crucial. In this review, we offer a comprehensive study concerning the unique properties of covalently/electrostatically PRO-POL systems and introduce emerging platforms to fabricate relevant nanocarriers for encapsulation of bioactive components along with a subsequent sustained/controlled release.

Glycation of soy proteins leads to a range of fractions with various supramolecular assemblies and surface activities

Dry and subsequent wet heating were used to glycate soy proteins with dextran or glucose, followed by fractionation based on size and solubility. Dry heating led to protein glycation (formation of furosine, Nε-(carboxymethyl)-l-lysine, Nε-(carboxyethyl)-l-lysine, and protein-bound carbonyls) and aggregation (increased particle size); while subsequent wet heating induced partial unfolding and de-aggregation. The measurable free amino group content of soy proteins changed from 0.77 to 0.14, then to 0.62 mmol/g upon dry and subsequent wet heating; this non-monotonic evolution is probably due to protein structural changes, and shows that this content should be interpreted with caution as a glycation marker. After both heating steps, the smaller-sized water-soluble fractions showed higher surface activity than the larger insoluble ones, and dextran conjugates exhibited a higher surface activity than their glucose counterparts. We thereby achieved a comprehensive understanding of the properties of various fractions in plant protein fractions, which is essential when targeting applications.